Spark-plug.



SPARK PLUG. APPLICATION FILED ocI. 5, I9I2.

Patented 001. 12, 1915. I

1P; TBT.

JOHN XV. MEAKER. OF BETROIT. MCHGAN.

SPARK-PLUG.

1 .a-Sonno.

Application filed October 5, 1912.

lle it linnn-n that l. Joux Viv. )li-tinten. a eitixen ol' the l'niled States ot' iueriea. residing at lletroii. in the eounty ot' 'ayne, and State otA liehigan. have invented certain neu' and nseiul linprovenienta in Spark-Plugs. oil \\'hieh the 'following' is a speeilieation. ret'erenee lieing had therein to the aeeonipau \'inj f' dra\\'in;rs.

ln the use ot'. |i:1i'l plugs. as the ignition terininalfot' explosive engines are euatomaril valled. it is neeessaev for their sin (-essl'ul operationl that the dillerenee in the eoellieients ot' expana'ion in the dillerent part l he provided l`or and that leakage he prevented under the high presaurev to \\'hiel1 they are `vuhieeted. lt i also desirahle that the operation olI the plug' he oliservahle.

'l`hi intention relate l to spark plugs tor explosive engines and to an arrangement thereof \\'hereh tight joints are olitaiued whieh hold under the severe `atraina4 and stresses ot' expaniaion and pressure to whieii the plug are sulrierted.

"l`he inreutionalso ineludeaI means1 wherehy not onll\v the operation ot the plugr can he, oliservahle hut the Spark thereof he made more ellieient and \\"nereh the sparking terminala when onee adjustedVmaintain their relative positiony so as to preserve the proper gap and do not Hagi or heeoine otherwise displaced when heated.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter Set vforth and pointed out in the appended Claim. l

ln the, drawings. Figure l is a View partially in elevation antl partially in seetion, ot' one form ot spark plugr that embodies features of the in\'eiition;l"ig. 2 is a cross sectional View ta ken on or about line .li'l ot' Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of Fig'. t; Fig'. 4 iS a vieu' enlarged and in d@ tail showing the method ot Set-tiring: allerminal rod with provision for expansion; ifi. 5 yis a View in detail showing' a motlitieation of a hotly structure; Fig. 6 is a bottom plan View showing one form of ignition gap: Fig. 'i' is a View in detail in longitudinal section showing an arrangement for ready eleanimgY ot' the terminals; Fig, 8 is a View in detail showing a motlileation of a signal gap terminal: Figs. 9 and l() Show modifications otl the, invention; and Figs. 'It'. l'l, lil, M and l5 show different forms ot' the ignition Arap terminals and which provide for an adjustment thereof.

Specification of Letters Patent.

"atenten @ein ill?. litt fi.,

Serial tio-724.007.

Referring to the trainings :i hod l o? in,` -latin 1'iuaterial with tapered lov-fer portion 'l ha an intermediate flange il that is wated in a veuti'alli4 apertured nipple l. the latter heine' exteriorl)v V'ereu'threaded t'or in aertion in the V parlt plug opening oi' a cyl- .\n annular eollar 5 in Aerenihreaded engagement with the nipple -i holds the lundi' in position and eloses the joint lijf eompre sion ot' a suitahle washer (l over the upper l'aee ot' the tlangje il. V

The insulating hodiv l (as indie-ated in l"i .7l ma)v he seated on the upper enti of .t

e \lin |rieal nipple l and held in poition hy an outer l lee\'e o' that is t'oreed downwardly thereorer against a paeltintl ring` l. the sleeve, heini peru|:uieutl aeeur'ed in position as h v holdin.;r plus'lllihrounlrthe l ot' the lee\e and nipple.

eentral terminal rod ll extendh` through an axial aperture otI the .hodv ln'ith a lower head or ilane'e portion l' that hears against :i' iiit;illle washer t?, and is itselt' in operatire relation to ignition terminal niemhers l-l seein-ed on the lower end ot' the nipple t eounterhnred reeess in the l, alotdS a or the like. upper end portion otl the hott); seat for a paelting ring 13 that eneirelefs the stein. spring washer iti or the lile in eonipresainn lit-tween the paeling ring' 'l5 and the l ignal terminal head il' screwthreaded on to the member ll holtla the iatm ter imposition regardless ot' exi'lanion ot it and the surrounding' liody and maintains a tight joint under all Working Conditions. ireieraifly the head l? engages the. washer l' to een'lr it in the. recess.

' rl`he pitrer is pret'el'ably provided with signal grap terminals on ita upper end which furnish Visible meansjfor tleterniinin4f the condition ot' the plug. It. inflieatetl in lfigst .1. l and ai a terminal eap' to which suitaole eleetrieal-eonneetion may ,he made i5 rotatably secured on the upper end portion ot' the body `l. and may have an eccentric {iang'e lil eneirelinf: the head 17 of the inem lier it. rotation ot the cap furnisl'iii'ig means for varying the'gjap between the heart 17 andi flange. tl' as Shown in Figs. 8 and 9 the tlang'e. of the eafl'e may have two or more projet-,tions O oi' ditlerent length withavnicn the head ot the stem may he brought into register to vary the spark as preterret. E@ tween the proj Spark length is obtained. for use. in clearing; the tiring gap. As before stated head eotions the maximum gap or supenpoaed Walls .may be of any preferred form, and in these gap at thek other end of the spark plug are supported on the projecting end of the nipple perative relation to the end of the rod n o lil. The body electrodes may be between wire loops L1,4 as shown 1n Figs. l and 3 which mav be bent backand forth as desired to furnish proper adjustment, or there may be a single loop 22 as shown in Fig. l1.

` Preferably the loops are inclined to allow for drainage therefrom of any oil or the like. Other forms of gap terminals are shown in Figs. 13, 13, 14 and 15 in which the loop has its head portion 23 secured in suitable openings through the nipple with arms 25 encircling the stem and lying in av lateral slot in the nipple. The lspreading ofthese arms regulates the double' gap. V

If the spark gap terminals have the form 'Shown in Fig. 11 in fixed relation, it is somewhat dillicult to clean. them and provision is made as indicated in Fig. 7, by insertinga bushing 26-in the lower end of the nipple, the bushing being readily removable for removing carbon or other foreign material.

a result of this construction a spark plug is obtained in `which the packing is so disposed that the joints are tight under all conditions or service, and a visible gap is provided that readily shows the condition of the plug and furthermore enhances the calorifc properties of the sparking gap Vowing to the temporary retardation of the latter and likewise has adjustable terminals for both gaps. Some forms shown herein make the construction very inexpensive as Well as effective. The adjustable feature of the signal gap permits the user to entirely rout out the latter or to regulate it to any preferred length.

Obviously, changes in the details of conconstruction may be made without departing from the'spirit of my invention and I do not care to limit myself to any particular form or arrangement of parts.

In a spark plug, a'nipple, a body of insulating material secured therein by means eil'ectively sealing the joints between the body and nipple, a terminal member extending through the body, the nipple with the contained body,terminal and securing means forming in effect an integral structure, and a bushing detachably secured to the lower end of the nipple and provided with electrodes adapted to coperate with the terminal and forining a part of the said integral structure when the latter is applied to the bushing, the bushing providing means for maintaining-the integral structure in a motor whereby the integral structure may be bodily removed and replaced without disturbance of the parts, and the nipple so housing the bushing when the plug is mounted in a motor that the bushing and the joint- JOHN NV. MEAKER.

Witnesses:

C. R. STICKNEY, A. M. Donn. 

